Asa Montgomery picks Duke over four other finalists

Asa Montgomery, the No. 14-ranked player in the 2027 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports, committed to Duke University on Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 forward from Power Springs, Georgia, selected the Blue Devils over offers from LSU, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and UConn.

Montgomery is the No. 4-ranked small forward in his class. He visited all five finalist programs, with Duke hosting his final trip over the October 2-3 weekend. His commitment places him as the third player in Duke's 2027 recruiting class, joining Luke Paul from Australia and Kager Knueppel. Kager is the younger brother of Kon Knueppel, a former Duke star and current Charlotte Hornet.

The addition moves Duke to the top of the 247Sports national recruiting rankings. The Blue Devils now lead LSU, Indiana, Missouri, UConn, and Houston in that metric. Since head coach Jon Scheyer arrived before the 2022-23 season, Duke has finished with a top-two recruiting class every year. The program holds the top national spot for the third consecutive cycle.

Adam Finkelstein, the Director of Scouting at 247Sports, noted that Montgomery possesses good instincts on both ends of the court. Finkelstein stated that the player has a nose for the ball defensively and can rebound effectively against opposing fours. He added that Montgomery is switchable on the ball and demonstrates a willingness to perform the small tasks required to play immediately at the next level.

Finkelstein observed that Montgomery has clear upside despite being very young for his grade. The player will not turn 18 until July following his senior year. This age gap provides a long runway for him to develop scoring and skills seen in grassroots basketball, potentially making him a versatile two-way threat.

Montgomery will likely reunite with a former teammate when he arrives at Duke next season. He played alongside Duke freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje on the USA Basketball Men's U17 National Team. The group defeated Serbia earlier this summer. Montgomery is not eligible for the 2027 NBA Draft because of the league's age requirement. He must complete two seasons of college basketball before entering the draft.